Workshop

Building Mental Strength for Career Sustainability

Sunday September 23rd, 2018 // 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm // 102B

Standard Registration$75.00

Retaining trained employees is crucial to every organization. The National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative has led to the funding of DNA testing for over 100,000 sexual assault kits. Large processing efforts expose forensic scientists to thousands of violent crimes in condensed time frames. Sustaining the mental capacity to process violent crime evidence while increasing efficiency, reducing turnaround times, and handling legislative changes takes trained skill sets. Vicarious trauma and chronic stress can easily endue without consideration of the scientists’ mindset. This workshop is designed to provide mental strength skill sets that can lead to increased resilience for overall career sustainability.

Learning Outcomes:

Attendees will learn how to determine symptoms of vicarious trauma and chronic stress in employees, colleagues, or themselves. Guided mental strength training exercises will provide attendees with actionable skills they can use in the moment to overcome stress and vicarious trauma as well as long-term solutions to increase mental fortitude and performance. The workshop is interactive and includes lecture, discussion, self-reflection, and hands on techniques.

Intended Audience:

The intended audience is forensic management and staff who are exposed to violent crime processing and/or workplace stress. No prerequisite is required. This training is suitable for those who have a mental strength training practice or beginners.

Agenda:

Time

Description

Lead Facilitator

1:00 – 1:15pm

Introduction/opening activity

Amy

1:15 – 1:40pm

Responding to work crisis: stress, burnout, and vicarious trauma

Becki

1:40 – 1:55pm

Resilience and destressifying

Amy

1:55 – 2:10pm

Biological response to stress

Becki

2:10 – 2:25pm

Tactical exercise: breath/body awareness

Amy

2:25 – 2:45pm

Break with refreshments

2:45 – 2:55pm

Tactical exercise: mindful movement

Amy

2:55 – 3:10pm

Emotional response to stress

Becki

3:10 – 3:30pm

Elements of emotional intelligence

Amy

3:30 – 3:40pm

Tactical exercise: finding the space to respond

Amy

3:40 – 3:55pm

Creating intentions and commitments to wellbeing

Amy

3:55 – 4:00pm

Closing and Q/A

Both

Speakers

Principle Consultant at Mindgen, LLC

Amy Jeanguenat has spent her career working in the private forensic industry supporting efforts world-wide to prevent and eliminate DNA backlogs, refine operational logistics, and provide quality and technical system support. In 2016, she launched Mindgen, LLC merging her interests in developing best practices for forensic science with the effects of mindfulness on human performance.

Professor of Psychology, Michigan State University

Dr. Rebecca Campbell is a Professor of Psychology at Michigan State University. Dr. Campbell’s research examines how contact with the legal and medical systems affects adult, adolescent, and pediatric victims’ psychological and physical health.